Endocannabinoid Signaling in Autism

In July 2015, Neurotherapeutics published an article about Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), presenting a modern view of the endocannabinoid (eCB) system, and alterations of its main components in human patients and animal models relevant to ASD. Our understanding of eCB signaling in autism is still in its infancy compared with other disorders of the central nervous system or of peripheral tissues, where eCB-based therapies have already reached preclinical and clinical phases. However, research in this field is rapidly evolving, and novel drugs able to hit specifically a distinct element of the eCB system are being developed at a surprising speed.